


Corporate Wellness for Beginners

by LadyRhiyana



Series: The One Where They Work in an Office [2]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Office, F/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:13:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21916570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyRhiyana/pseuds/LadyRhiyana
Summary: In which Jaime is a corporate enforcer, Brienne is an optimist, and they share an office and a team.**“Co-Manager of Corporate Wellness,” Tyrion said, reading one of Jaime’s newly printed business cards. “What on earth does a Co-Manager do?"[Companion piece to "The Oathkeeper Foundation."]
Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth
Series: The One Where They Work in an Office [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1578496
Comments: 33
Kudos: 195





	Corporate Wellness for Beginners

**Author's Note:**

> Tales from the first 12 months Jaime spent as Co-Manager of Corporate Wellness.

** 

January

**

The new Corporate Wellness team had almost finished its move onto the 25th floor. With a multi-million dragon operating budget, Brienne Tarth had been able to pick and choose her facilities and her people and structure her team exactly as she pleased. The cubicles and offices were slowly filling up with an odd assortment of wide-eyed experts of one sort or another: counsellors, alternative therapists, masseuses, and even yoga instructors for all Jaime knew. 

Jaime had brought only his admin Pia with him, his assistant Peck, and dour Clegane and cold-blooded Bronn. Clegane and Bronn had claimed offices for themselves and no one had dared argue with them. 

Meanwhile Jaime shared the corner office with Brienne Tarth. 

Aside from his people, the only thing he had insisted on was a comfortable couch.

“Co-Manager of Corporate Wellness,” Tyrion said, reading one of Jaime’s newly printed business cards. “What on earth does a Co-Manager do? Surely you’re not actually going to take part in this folly.” He paused. “You do know Father has no intention of letting you escape your enforcement role, don’t you?”

“I know that,” Jaime said testily. “I’m off to the Stepstones tomorrow.” He strode over to the great glass windows of his new, shared, corner office, looking out over Lannisport harbour and the bustling docks where three red-hulled cargo ships lay at anchor. 

“Tyroshi pirates?” Tyrion asked. “I heard they took the _Bright Wind._ ” 

“They killed the captain and half the crew,” Jaime said. “There’s no choice for it now; someone will have to root them out and destroy them.”

Tyrion cleared his throat. “And that someone is you?”

“Who else?” Jaime asked. “Brax was one of our best captains. Some of the men on _Bright Wind_ have sailed on Lannister ships, man and boy, for over twenty years. Lannisters pay our debts. We look after our own.” 

Tyrion reached up and patted his arm. “I know you do, brother. And I love you for it.” He grinned suddenly. “Perhaps that’s what Corporate Wellness really is,” he said. “Looking after our own. Paying our debts to our employees.”

**

February

**

When Jaime returned from the Stepstones, the pirates’ lair razed to the ground, he found the move complete. 

The offices and cubicles were filled. There were posters on the walls and notices pinned up on the corkboard near the entrance, and there was a whiteboard in the kitchen recording the team members’ whereabouts, complete with brightly coloured magnets. Beside his name, someone had written “Off Fighting Pirates, Back Soon”. 

The walls were painted a soothing pale green, with no crimson or gold in sight, and the atmosphere was…friendly. Pleasant. 

From the emails he had flicked through now and then, to distract himself from the fighting, the team had instituted a weekly morning tea on Wednesday mornings. Everyone was encouraged to bring a plate. 

** 

The next Wednesday that Jaime was in the office, he brought in a packet of chocolate biscuits. 

At 10:30am they all gathered in the kitchen, had a cup of tea or coffee, and made pleasant small talk with each other. Pia and Peck seemed to be thriving in their new environment; Clegane stood in the corner, glowering darkly at everyone and everything; and Bronn was chatting brightly with a pretty dark-haired pilates instructor. 

** 

March

** 

He returned to Lannisport late at night, after a long and exhausting investigation into a case of corporate espionage. He couldn’t face his empty apartment, and so he fell asleep on his very comfortable couch. 

He awoke the next day, just after ten in the morning, to the low, muffled hum of the office. The blinds were drawn and Brienne was working quietly on her computer. She looked up when he stirred, a little wrinkle of concern between her brows. 

“Is everything okay?” she asked. “You look tired.” 

Someone had spread a warm blanket spread over him. 

“Fine,” he said automatically, rubbing his hands over his face and feeling the rasp of stubble. “Too many late nights.” 

“Go back to sleep, Jaime,” she said. “It’s safe here.”

** 

April

** 

Brienne had to go to Tarth for two weeks. 

“In my absence,” she told the team, “Jaime will take over as Manager.”

**

In those two weeks, he got a closer look at what the Corporate Wellness team actually did. Corporate massages, yoga and pilates were part of it, yes, as was meditation and mindfulness and nutrition. But most of it seemed to boil down to making employees happy and proud of their work.

No wonder his father found it so ridiculous. 

“We need to create positive and lasting change in the company culture,” Melisandre told him at morning tea on the first Wednesday.

Jaime’s brows flew up. “And how do you propose to do that?” he asked. 

“Ms Tarth says it should start at the top,” young Podrick Payne said. 

“Well, that’s true enough,” said Bronn, who seemed to find a great deal of ironic enjoyment in his new colleagues. “You’ll need to make a permanent change at the very top though. CEO level at least.”

Jaime shot him a warning look. 

** 

A great deal of his time was spent on purely administrative duties: signing off on requests, attending meetings, approving initiatives that had been developed under Brienne’s watch. 

Finance sent an email advising that Clegane and Bronn were behind on their timesheets. 

Sometimes one of the counsellors wanted to discuss – in general terms – some employee issues they had come across. Bored with administration, Jaime listened with more patience than his usual wont, and even tried to offer suggestions – though from the startled, wide-eyed looks he received, his proposed solutions were probably ineligible. 

Well, Jaime had never pretended to be anything more than an enforcer. 

**

Just before Brienne’s return from Tarth, he received an anonymous complaint from one of their overseas factories. The brutish overseer had driven one of the workers to suicide, and productivity and morale was at an all-time low. 

This one, he thought, he could handle on his own. 

** 

May

** 

“Jaime,” Brienne said, “you can’t just make people disappear.”

“Can’t I?” he asked. “Lannisters pay our debts. Our employees need to see that we look out for our own.” 

“Yes, but – not like that!”

He waved a dismissive hand. 

** 

June

** 

In the first six months of the Corporate Wellness team’s existence, employee productivity and morale had risen across the company. Absenteeism was down, and a company-wide survey found that more people were felt happier and less stressed about their work. 

Brienne had implemented a number of policies designed to reduce Lanniscorp’s carbon footprint and had encouraged the board to switch to more ethical and sustainable methods of development. 

She had also worked closely with the Public Relations team to encourage community and media engagement with Lanniscorp’s new ventures, and slowly but surely the company’s image was improving. 

Things were going well. 

So when the miners of Castamere took to the picket lines again, this time protesting against the company’s new policies, she took it as a personal blow. 

“It’s not a reflection on you,” Jaime said, offering what comfort he could. “Castamere is the constant thorn in the side of our mining operations. Father seized it from the Reynes forty years ago, and they’ve neither forgiven nor forgotten.” 

Brienne sighed. “I’ve head the stories.”

“Yes. Well. It was an extremely hostile takeover. Father deliberately set out to make an example.” 

He poured her a finger of Scotch from the cluster of crystal decanters gathering dust in the corner: a gift from Tyrion when Jaime had first moved into the office. Neither he nor Brienne were big drinkers; still, there were times when nothing else would serve.

On her computer she was watching footage of the striking miners. 

“If they’re not careful,” Brienne said, “he’ll send you again, won’t he.” She tossed back her drink. 

“Probably.” Jaime held his glass up to the light. “You should know, Ms Tarth,” he said carefully, “that the last time I went to Castamere, all I did was talk with them.” 

She looked up. “I thought –”

He shifted uncomfortably. “I made threats, yes, and I suppose if they’d stood their ground I would have been forced to carry them out. But the ringleaders were weak. My reputation was enough to cow them.”

**

In the end, his father sent him in to end the strike. 

“I’m coming with you,” Brienne said stubbornly, as he and Clegane and Bronn prepared to leave. Her jaw was set, her blue eyes blazing. “Corporate wellness is not just for office workers. I want them to know that their voices matter, that the company is listening.” 

** 

July

** 

Addam Marbrand, the new head of Security, ventured up to the 25th floor to further his acquaintance with a pretty blonde nutritionist. 

“You know, Jaime,” he said mock-seriously, “you should try some of these activities they have on offer. Jeyne says that yoga is great for relaxation and flexibility.” 

Jaime grinned, showing his white, sharp teeth. “Only if you try it with me,” he replied. 

“Oh yes!” Jeyne, the blonde nutritionist chipped in. “We’ve been trying to encourage the Security team to participate. Jaime, if they hear that you and Addam have taken a yoga class –”

“Go on, then,” said Bronn. “Take one for the team.” 

Addam and Jaime – childhood friends, partners in crime and rivals in daring – stared each other down until they suddenly began to laugh. 

“Why not,” said Jaime. “Let’s do it. But you have to get Security to support Corporate Wellness.” 

And so Jaime and Addam – and Bronn – took up yoga. 

“It’s not half-bad, this,” Bronn said afterwards, stretching his neck and shoulders and wincing as his joints cracked. 

**

Sansa, smiling hopefully, her blue eyes wide and appealing, persuaded Clegane to attend a meditation and mindfulness session. 

**

August

** 

A mining crew in the remote wastes of the Dornish sands went missing. That far into the desert, the Dornishmen still remembered the ancient hatreds of centuries past; threats and sabotage and outright violence had plagued the project from the beginning. 

Jaime and a handpicked team flew out to Dorne. 

When he returned to the office after three weeks in the field, exhausted and angry and disheartened, he was in no mood for optimism and positive energy. Four men were dead, and more still were injured; the whole expedition had been a disaster from start to finish.

Brienne put a Do Not Disturb sign on the door and let him sleep on the couch, uninterrupted. When he woke, she made him shower and change his clothes, and then took him to the corporate gym and let him vent his rage and frustration on a punching bag. 

** 

September

** 

“Tell me about Aerys,” Brienne said. “You weren’t always your father’s enforcer. Why were you dismissed from the Kingsguard?”

Her eyes were blue, and clear, and pure as the Maiden’s. 

**

October

**

By now, the team was comfortable with him, and he had taken over Brienne’s duties often enough to be comfortable with them.

They greeted him cheerfully when he was in the office, included him in their banter and in-jokes, and even the shyest felt comfortable approaching him and asking his opinion. 

Sometimes he was able to help. Other times he would make a joke of it.

“The simplest solutions are sometimes the best,” he would say with his most charming smile. “Send in Bronn and Clegane.”

Brienne always rolled her eyes and sighed. 

When he or Bronn or Clegane went out into the field, they would wish them farewell with a smile. 

“To them, you’re not the demon enforcer,” Brienne said. “Only Jaime, their co-boss.”

“The fun boss, you mean,” he grinned.

When his name day approached, Pia deliberately spilled the knowledge. 

Fat, cheerful Walda made him a cake. 

**

November

** 

As the seasons turned and the days grew shorter and colder, there came a lull in the frequency of his enforcement work. As he spent more and more time in the office, he found himself going with Brienne to get coffee in the mornings.

It was a curious ritual. Every morning, they would put on their coats and head outside in the cold to the same coffee shop, where she always ordered the same ridiculously complicated over-sweetened concoction. 

It was warm inside, the air smelling of coffee and fresh-baked pastries; the baristas knew Brienne by name and always greeted her with a smile. When he first started coming in with her, he saw them wink and send her a discreet thumbs-up. Soon enough they started recognising Jaime too, not as a Lannister but as Brienne’s companion “Jaime, plain black coffee”. 

They would take their drinks and stroll slowly back to the office, talking of this and that. If she shivered, he would undo his scarf and wind it round her neck, and the cold wind would make her cheeks flush and her eyes glow.

Jaime had spent long enough in the Kingsguard to be wary of routine; he had never had a favourite coffee shop in his life, and the thought of complete strangers being so familiar with him was – well. He was a Lannister, after all. 

Still. There were few things he wouldn’t do, to see Brienne smile. 

** 

December

**

Festive decorations – appropriately neutral – began to appear about the office. 

Caught up in the giddy optimism of the season, seduced by warmth and comfort and the promise in Brienne’s blue eyes, Jaime finally decided to tell Brienne how he felt about her. 

But where to begin? 

The ever-present Sevenmas carols that played over and over in the coffee shop gave him the beginnings of an idea.


End file.
